


Goodnight

by orphan_account



Category: Heathers (1988), Heathers: The Musical - Murphy & O'Keefe
Genre: F/F, Non-Canonical Character Death, might continue this one if the mood strikes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-18
Updated: 2014-09-18
Packaged: 2018-02-17 21:46:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2324267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>JD succeeds in his plan to kill Heather McNamara, but Heather doesn’t want to move on just yet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Goodnight

**Author's Note:**

> Kinda written with the musical more in mind but hey, enjoy it anyway

JD hadn’t told Veronica about his next hit, but the opportunity was too perfect to pass up.

He had always been weak to irony’s call, and it was this call that prompted him to ignore Veronica’s pleading while his mind whirred into a frenzy, full of his own fantasies, his own genius plan that made his body thrill with excited desire.

There was no plan with Heather Chandler. It was so quick and unplanned and choppy, but it was something to tide him over. Kurt and Ram were similar; more thought out but still missing something that made them perfect. Though, JD had to admit, they had set themselves up for the gay thing, if he had anything to say about it. It took something away for him. Veronica never agreed when he brought it up. She never agreed to anything anymore.

So he kept this one to himself, collecting his arsenal from the pharmacy alone, and stuffing the assortment of tiny boxes into his huge coat to shield them from view. It would be just his luck that he’d run into her on the street. Sherwood was a small place, after all.

He wasted no time, trailing Heather McNamara home the very next day and watching for the bushes that surrounded her sizeable house, mapping out the area in his head and on a sheet of paper in his hands. It was easy.

He could see her in her bedroom even from a storey below, dancing around to some stupid pop song he couldn’t care to document. This was the girl who had been taken out of his reach, out of his plan. Veronica says he can’t touch her, for reasons of her own. It only made him want it more.

He could see her father coming in, giving a glass of water to his already sleepy daughter, kissing her forehead and letting her drain the glass as if she had not drank for months on end, and he knew it was perfect. He fingers ghosted upon the painkillers, the packets glossy under his touch.

It was all too easy.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Veronica should have known right away that something was wrong, but she had long since begun to ignore her gut feelings. They had always led her wrong, and on that day she had woken up in a flurry of bad feelings and stomach pains.

Still, school was inevitable, and her new sport of ignoring JD would begin again as it did it every school day. Still, as soon as she pushed open the heavy doors to start her torture, something crept into her system that made her feel cold, and JD was absent completely from her mind.

But there was no time to think on it, with classes beginning again for the day and the world around her already very awake.

The choas was so much that she hardly even noticed the frantic girls on spindly legs darting through the crowd with silent steps and dressed, not in her usual yellow, but in a pink tank top and sweatpants.

“Veronica!”

That sure woke her up, her gaze lifting just in time to see Heather McNamara rushing in her general direction so fast she was sure they would collide.

Later, when Heather Duke would scoff at her from across the lunch room for yelping and flinching like a madwoman in the middle of the school hallway, she would try and laugh it off, claiming a headache and sometimes (to girls or jocks) menstrual cramps. Truth be told, Heather McNamara never hit her, and in fact fell right through her onto the ground with a thud so hard Veronica had been worried she’d be hurt, until it started to add up in her head and she’d almost wanted to run away instead of aiding the sobbing girls to her feet.

Of course, she couldn’t even help with that, and paused in the middle of bending down to swallow and stand back up, shuffling a little in her place as fear started to creep back into her stomach. No one else seemed to notice Heather at all. In fact, they weren’t even staring at her anymore, and were already clearing out to class, slamming lockers and running off with their squeaky sneakers scratching across the floors.

Heather remained on the ground, staring up at her with huge, confused eyes that filled with more and more crocodile tears the longer Veronica looked into them. Her legs were bent around her, like a lost child’s, and the sight made the aches in Veronica’s chest dissipate in one way and intensify in others. It was this pain that drove her to finally speak. “Heather…”

But she couldn’t say anything else. Heather was scrambling to her feet already, looking very much like a deer in headlights as she shook in her socks and whispered loudly, “You can see me, right?”

Veronica nodded, a jerky movement that she herself was ashamed of, and her heard Heather draw in breath and release it, but it never blew across her skin, even those the small girl had long since invaded her personal space. Heather whined. “Heather said you would see me…” She trailed off, backing off a little to give Veronica room enough to breath. “She wouldn’t tell me what’s happened. Why can’t everyone else see me?”

With her own air returned, and the ghostly cold that all of her memories (or were they really ghosts?) seemed to leak fading into the air, Veronica’s head spun. Her eyes wandered across the petite blonde’s frame. No gunshot wounds, no blood.

Just like Heather, she thought to herself, her throat constricting. She could feel Heather Chandler hovering around somewhere, watching with that stupid smile on her face and cursed internally. Heather McNamara had always hated when she cursed. Now wasn’t the time to spook her and shout aloud. She already looked scared.

“Hey, it’s okay. It’s all good, we’re just gonna go home okay? Didn’t really want to be here today anyway.” She needed to think, and Heather complied with minimal fuss, only narrowing her eyes for a moment before brightening a little. “We’re gonna go home and… fix this up as much as we can… What happened, exactly? That you remember?”

Heather’s face fell just as quickly as it had drawn up and Veronica felt bad for upsetting her again so quickly. “I just woke up like this, I couldn’t pick up my hairbrush or anything!” Veronica took the moment to notice Heather’s hair. It was a little frizzy, a few wispy hairs escaping away from the rest. It was actually kind of adorable, and she couldn’t help but smile down at the girl, still a head shorter than her standing.

She nearly wanted to reach out and straighten the hair down, but paused with her hands in the air before she could touch her. Touching her with remind Heather that she was different now. Dead, in fact, but she didn’t know that yet. She cursed Heather Chandler for leaving her to break another heart, and in her head she could hear a cackling that rivalled any witch’s.

So she gestured for Heather to lead the way, but fell into step with her quickly, Heather’s shorter legs leaving her slightly slower. Veronica tried her hardest to keep her eyes trained ahead of her, but they kept flitting down to the top of Heather’s head, and her arms itched to touch her.

This can’t be real. Not again.

Not McNamara. I told him. Not her.

Veronica’s throat constricted and she felt her eyes burning.

I had saved her.

Veronica wanted to hit something, break a lamp like they did in the movies or something. Heather heaved a sigh beside her, air she didn’t really need, and she shuddered, bile rushing up her throat. She swallowed it down. Puking on the sidewalk wouldn’t do anything for Heather’s state. She might eveb disappear, like Heather Chandler did sometimes, into thin air.

Maybe Heather didn’t know she could do that yet? Could she? Probably, but what did Veronica know about those seemingly random set of powers they had?

She didn’t even want to think about it anymore. Heather was dead now. It wasn’t her fault. Why did she have to take care of her?

As soon as the thought crossed her mind she hated herself for it.

This is all my fault…

“Veronica… hey you feeling okay?”

She could hear her voice but the blood rushing in her ears left her unable to answer. Veronica pressed her eyes closed roughly, clearing her throat and blowing out a quick blast of air. “Fine, Heather… I’m fine.”

Xxxxxxxxxxx

It had been hard to convince Heather not to try and turn the TV on. It had been harder still to keep her away from the radio and all of the rest of Veronica’s possessions. She couldn’t touch them, but the reminder would set her off crying even louder than before.

When Veronica had finally sat her down to tell her that she was, indeed, dead, Heather had bawled her eyes out until they were red rimmed and exhausted. No tears stained Veronica’s bed spread, though she kind of wished they had.

So she knew she was dead, but she forgot sometimes and every time it dawned on her it broke her companion’s heart. Veronica still couldn’t bear the thought of her hearing her own death notice on the news, or even seeing her obituary in the paper. She even started dumping her father’s paper as soon as he had read it. She kept at it for an entire week until she was sure the chaos would have died down, and Heather’s name would have disappeared from the news.

Of course, Heather wondered why Veronica was the one to be able to see her. Veronica herself had long since stopped wondering, contributing it to nothing more than guilt and regret stirring up something inside her that drew JD’s (and her own) victims to her.

Truly, Heather never even dared visit her parents to make sure Veronica was telling the truth. She suspected she wouldn’t be able to bear it if they ignored her.

Heather Chandler would show up sometimes when Veronica was at school, and the two of them would hang out. Sometimes even with Kurt and Ram, but they preferred to hang out at school in the girl’s locker rooms, so that was rare. Heather McNamara wasn’t sure how she felt about this, but Heather Chandler tried her hardest to be nice to her. She could feel her insults soften, and eventually fade out, and wondered if Heather was upset too, under all that arrogance.

But when Veronica came home she usually poofed out (a trick she had been offered lessons in but Heather always denied them), and they would watch movies on Veronica’s bed, with just enough space in between them to pretend all was still normal, and Heather wouldn’t just fall into her body if she rolled to close against her. It was nice, in a spooky kind of way, but, truthfully, if Veronica tried hard enough she could ignore the cold that radiated from her friend, and learned over time not to try and touch her, as much as her arms itched too when she looked for too long.

Not the perfect situation, and she knew it, but she was glad that she could even see Heather anymore. Never mind that she was sweet enough not to hate her for it.

Veronica knew she was smitten with this girl. She had been for longer than she’d ever admit even to herself. And having her around made the pian that ate through her body subside a little, especially whenever she could tease out that little giggle that made her weak in the knees whenever she stood.

It wasn’t perfect, but Veronica would take it as she could.

It was one of these nights that JD finally showed his face in her home again.

Veronica had been munching away on her Jiffy Pop, occasionally throwing it up and trying to catch it in her mouth. It made Heather smile and roar out some applause when she got it, and laugh her innocent little laugh whenever she didn’t, so there was really no way for her to lose out. Heather Chandler had left to wherever it was she went when she didn’t want to be around them about an hour ago (she hated their channel choice), and her absence had gifted them with a night of privacy. The television ran quietly in the background; a reality show none of them had much time for at the moment, but one that Heather used to watch when her parents left her alone in the house while they went on business trips.

Heather looked like she might even fall asleep (or whatever the ghostly equivalent of sleep was) when the window cracked open, and Veronica almost held out her arm to steady her when she started at the sound, but thought better of it. “JD?” She muttered, her voice a question and a statement all in one, and Heather’s shoulders dropped immediately. She sat up, leaning against the headboard, and before Veronica could even begin to wonder why it was that she didn’t fall through furniture, JD had wrenched the window open and climbed it, his long coat trailing behind him like black water.

“Veronica,” He answered in kind, smiling a little at the sight of her. She had long since changed into her pyjamas, ready to settle down for a night of bad shows and snacks, but now she saw that it wasn’t to be. “I’ve been missing you lately…”

Veronica scoffed, hoping he wouldn’t come much further and sit on Heather by accident. Thankfully, he seemed to like the cold night air against his back and stood his ground. Heather, for her part, shrank up a little, just in case.

“Get out, JD.” Veronica spat, venom dripping from her lips and teeth bared like an animal defending a kill. He only smirked in her face, hands in his pockets posture relaxed as ever.

Heather watched with wide, startled eyes, and whispered in an urgent voice, “Can he see me?” to which Veronica tried her shake her head in a way that didn’t make JD think she Was going crazy. She already felt vulnerable in her thin shirt and pants that Heather had insisted were cute, no need to let him believe she wasn’t right in the head that night either.

“What, not pleased to see me?” He asked, his voice a mockery of he injured, his hands clutching his chest where his heart may have once been. “I’m hurt.”

“Get out!” It wasn’t quite a yell, but it bordered on it, and Heather’s eyes darted to the door. Veronica’s parents were heavy sleepers, and there wasn’t a stir to be made outside their room. “I mean it, JD, I don’t want anything to do with you.”

“But you have everything to do with me… you’re my everything.” He cooed, mouth stretched open so wide over gleaming teeth, towering over Veronica and seeming a lot more threatening than the brunette ever could. Heather mustered up the courage to glare, even though he couldn’t see. “Why are you running away from me?”

His voice had softened as he got down on his knees in front of her, much too close, climbing up on the bed. Heather McNamara moved back a few inches before huffing and sticking her tongue out. Veronica almost snorted at the sight, but JD’s freezing hands had already closed around her own and it was swallowed away by fear and grief.

“Out, JD.” She growled, and he released her, throwing up his hands.

“Fine… I guess I’ll see you at school then!” He shook his head, but he was gone as quickly as he had arrived, and Veronica finally felt her lungs fill up with untainted air again.

There was a silence that followed his exit was one that Veronica may have needed and one that had Heather’s head spinning full of thoughts. Thoughts she couldn’t hold in and had to speak aloud. “Are you in love with that guy?”

Veronica swallowed through her dry mouth, burrying her hands in the half bowl of popcorn that remained. “I don’t know.”

“How can you not know?”

“I just don’t!” Veronica regretted snapping the moment she did it, but Heather didn’t seem that put out.

“I don’t like him,” the tiny blonde piped up, straightening her back against the headboard while her legs unwound themselves again. “And I think he killed me.”

“What makes you think that?” Veronica choked out her words, stuffing her mouth full of buttery goodness to try and keep her voice steady. It failed almost incredibly, but Heather smiled anyway.

“I just feel it. I guess that’s one of the superpowers I have now,” she examined her arms in wonder. “I wonder what else I can do…”

“Heather?” Veronica’s smile was heartbroken, because she was just that, and not afraid to show it anymore. Heather was dead now. Worst came to worst she would just stop hanging around her, like Kurt and Ram… except she was nothing like Kurt and Ram, and it would hurt to not see her anymore. Still, Veronica’s mouth ran its course. “I told him not too.”

Heather rolled her eyes. “I know you did! You saved me, remember?”

“Not enough…” Veronica’s eyes slid closed. “I didn’t stop him.”

Heather’s grin faltered a little, becoming crooked to the left by the sadness that had lingered on for days but never broken its banks. Veronica continued on. “I don’t even know if you’re real or it’s all in my head… I mean what if I’m just imagining you up?” The smile fell completely at that.

“I’m here, Veronica.”

“That’s exactly what my guilty conscience would say.” Veronica yawned, her body shaking with adrenaline and drained with the effort of it.

Heather could have laughed in her face. “I’m sure you’re right, but I’ll find a way to prove it too you. You’ll see.” She glanced over, to where Veronica had laid down to rest her head on her pillow and mimicked her, keeping their faces only inches apart. “I can do it.”

“Mmhmm,” Veronica hummed, her eyes opening for a moment to meet with Heathers. “I still killed you.”

“Shhh… You did nothing wrong… you did everything right actually but JD is mean and he didn’t like sharing you.”

“Sharing me?”

Heather froze up, throat constricting and struggling to swallow. “I mean- I g-you said leave me alone… I just assumed you kinda cared.”

“Oh I cared, I still care, I care a ton,” Veronica’s eyelids were heavy and Heather could hear a yawn in her voice. “I cared about you lot more than I let on… sorry I never said anything.”

“What?” Heather believed that if she could still sweat, her palms would be leaving damp trails all over the bedspread.

Veronica, whose eyes had slid shut while Heather was flushing up, cracked open an eye with a grin. “In the morning, okay? I… can’t deal now, not after-“

“Sure, yeah okay.” Heather babbled, her voice high pitched and she hoped it didn’t whine as much as she heard. Still, Veronica nodded, offering up one last smile before her eyes slipped shut again, and Heather was left alone, buzzing with energy she hadn’t earned and smiling like an idiot on her best friend’s bed. Oh, please let me be right…

“Goodnight, Veronica.”


End file.
